Charity supporting disabled people with power of music and arts nominated at National Diversity Awards
A charity which focuses on the power of music to bring people with learning and communication together is nominated at this year's National Diversity Awards.
Accessible Arts & Media uses musical performance and arts and crafts to engage with disabled people so they can learn news skills, grow in confidence and express themselves through creative media.
The York-based charity has been running for 37 years and also helps people suffering with mental health problems and older people with dementia and memory loss.
Activities include the Hands and Voices choir, an inclusive singing and signing choir, set up in 1997 to help adults with learning and communication difficulties.
Video report by ITV News Reporter Kris Jepson
Along with music projects for disabled and non-disabled young people and children and creative sensory activities for people with profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Wayne Davison told ITV News: "There's quite a lot of members who are non verbal, and music gives them a media to communicate, and the more they engage with that, and I see it time and time again, the more they are able to communicate."
The charity has engaged with more than 10,000 people over the three decades - Lewis Wilkinson is one of those who has benefited from the charity.
He told ITV News: "When we're performing in front of an audience, then they join in as well, and they clap at the end for us.
"I feel a lot happier and I've made a lot of friends."
Daniel Hayes has learnt to play the drums and ukulele through Accessible Arts & Media.
"It's more relaxing, its great, its good fun," he said.
The National Diversity Awards will be streamed live on the ITV News website from 9pm on Friday 20 September.